Linux Mint is one of the surprise packages of the past year. Originally launched
as a variant of Ubuntu with integrated media codecs, it has now developed into
one of the most user-friendly distributions on the market - complete with a
custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration tools, a web-based
package installation interface, and a number of different editions. Perhaps most
importantly, this is one project where the developers and users are in constant
interaction, resulting in dramatic, user-driven improvements with every new
release. DistroWatch has spoken to the founder and lead developer of Linux Mint,
Clement Lefebvre, about the history of the distribution.

Some of the reasons for the success of Linux Mint are:

* It's one of the most community driven distributions. You could literally post
an idea in the forums today and see it implemented the week after in the
"current" release. Of course this has pros and cons and compared to
distributions with roadmaps, feature boards and fixed release cycles we miss a
lot of structure and potentially a lot of quality, but it allows us to react
quickly, implement more innovations and make the whole experience for us and for
the users extremely exciting.
* It is a Debian-based distribution and as such it is very solid and it comes
with one of the greatest package managers.
* It is compatible with and uses Ubuntu repositories. This gives Linux Mint
users access to a huge collection of packages and software.
* It comes with a lot of desktop improvements which make it easier for the user
to do common things.
* There is a strong focus on making things work out of the box (WiFi cards
drivers in the file system, multimedia support, screen resolution, etc).

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Install Notes
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Hard disks potentially not shown when installing in Live CD mode
If a user browses a hard disk in Live CD mode before choosing to install,
Ubiquity will not allow installation onto this disk because disks cannot be
partitioned if they have busy (mounted) partitions. To use a mounted disk for
installation, first unmount the drive before attempting to install.